And finding your purpose changes everything.

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Finding your purpose changes everything.

But we can’t just go from “here” to “there” without the proper foundation. More important that any of the ministry you’ll do is walking with an awareness of who you are. As you live from that, walking in His presence, your gifts overflow, spilling onto the world around you.

Here’s the main idea for each part of the book- and how these concepts fit together.

Identity = Knowing who God is & resting in who He says I am is my foundation.

Presence = Living in awareness of His presence is the best habit I can develop.

Expression = Imparting my gifts of grace and love is always the right response.

Perspective = Continuing to lean back into my Kingdom identity remains the best way to move forward.

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Here's how it all happens!

First, we know what God is like because we've seen Jesus!

Jesus shows us a perfect picture of what our Heavenly Father is like. To see Him was to see the Father, He said (John 14:6-11). According to Him, He only did— and said— what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19).

(See page 50!)

Second, everything that happened to Jesus happened to us, too.

The New Testament teaches us that Christ now lives through us (Galatians 2:20). This is because we were crucified with Him, we died with Him, were buried, arose with Him, and have even ascended (see Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:3, Romans 6:4, Ephesians 2:5-6).

In the same way that Jesus expressed the heart of the Father with the things He did, so also do we.

(See page 90!)

Third, the resurrection life lives in us-- meaning the fullness of God (that was in Jesus) now inhabits us.

Further, we’re empowered to do the works of Jesus. The fullness of the Godhead filled Christ (Colossians 2:9). We forget, though, that this same fullness fills each of us (Colossians 2:10).

(See page 107!)

Fourth, we've been sent to represent the Kingdom of God to this world in the same way Jesus was sent!

Jesus told the disciples that the Father sent Him— and that He was sending them in that same way (John 20:21). Further, He reminded them that the way in which someone received them was the way they actually received Him— and that was they way they received His Father (Matthew 10:40f).

This is because we are His ambassadors, His representatives.

(See page 126!)

Fifth, this works best when we live the "climate of the Kingdom," love.

The more broken people were, the more likely they were to run towards Jesus rather than run away from Him.

Too often, it seems that it’s the exact opposite with the church today- because we use fear and shame to seek to control people rather than using love to bring them close. Love and fear cannot— they don’t coexist (1 John 4:18).

In the same what that a butterfly’s design so out-compares it’s previous existence as a caterpillar (i.e., there’s nothing in the design of the first that provides any clue it can transform into the second), so also do we radically change.

This is a great place to put your CTA that you have been building towards in your video.

The terminology the Bible uses is radical— suggesting that we’re not just a “cleaned up” version of ourselves with a blank slate, we’re a totally new creation.

Notice what happens once we become NEW!

Sixth, we're to walk in love AND live in the power of the Spirit.

Jesus not only shows us what perfect love— what a precise reflection of the Father who is love (1 John 4:8)— can do. He also demonstrates what we can do when we’re fully empowered by the Holy Spirit.

After the wilderness temptation He returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14). In the same way, He encouraged His followers to also wait for that Spirit’s power, and then to continue living in the Spirit’s presence (John 16:13).

(See page 169!)

Seventh, the life of the Spirit is an ongoing encounter!

Although the Spirit moves into our lives at conversion (1 Corinthians 6:17), bringing about a character transformation, there is an ongoing dimension to the Holy Spirit’s renovation work on our soul.

The same Spirit that begins nurturing and growing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives also supernatural gifts and empowers us to do more— via the empower of Christ in us— than we could ever do on our own.

(See page 214!)

Eighth, Jesus gifts all people, and He gives some to help the others awaken those gifts.

Jesus is the One who pours out the Spirit (Acts 2:33). He is the One who gifts His church (Ephesians 4:11f.). He gifts His church with people, the leaders who are called to equip the people who comprise His church.

And, He gifts those people who are called to be equipped. The second group “has gifts,” the first group “is gifts.” Both are fully needed in their unique expressions.

(See page 257!)

Ninth, when God gifts us He doesn't give us something "separate" from Himself...

Spiritual gifts arethe presence and power of God expressing Himself through His redeemed children to empower them for the work of ministry to the church and mission to the world. They are the actual presence of God— not something separate from Him that we possess. As such, the more we nurture our relationship, the more “alive” those gifts become.

(By the way, the phrase “spiritual gifts” doesn’t appear in the Bible. We’ll talk about why— and show you what does appear.)

(See page 311!)

Tenth, the gifts are given primarily to function everywhere you go-- not just in the church.

The gifts are given for both ministry (inside the church) use and mission (outside the church) use. That is, they work everywhere. As such, there shouldn’t be a hardline between that which is “sacred” and that which is “secular.”

For a man or woman in Jesus’ day, what they did Monday through Saturday was as valid as the worship they offered on Sunday. In fact, we could argue that those gifts are even more important— as they’re used 6 days to do anything, anywhere, that the Lord has called that person to do.

(See pave 318!)

The path to uncovering your unique gifts is the same as it was for Jesus.

He first obeyed the Father as He defeated Satan in the wilderness. Emerging strong in Spirit, He expressed the unique ways in which He was created, eventually expressing the full embodiment of the Spirit moving through Him. We call the areas 1) instructional obedience, 2) natural talents + creative design, and 3) supernatural gifts. All three are important, building upon one another.

4 Parts, comprised of 23 chapters and 5 assessments empower you to live the life you're destined to live

We begin with identity (who you are in Christ, we move to living in the presence (of the Spirit), we then explore the unique expression of the Spirit in you, and we maintain our perspective.

Part 1 = Identity =

Knowing who God is & resting in who He says I am is my foundation.

Part 2 = Presence =

Living in awareness of His presence is the best habit I can develop.

Part 3= Expression =

Imparting my gifts of grace and love is always the right response.

Part 4 = Perspective =

Continuing to lean back into my Kingdom identity remains the best way to move forward.

The book includes 5 assessment tools to help you explore the unique gift-mix and calling on your life!

A. How you to respond to people and projects?

This noted personality profile tool identifies four ways in which we engage the world around us— particularly how we relate to people and projects.

Some people are goal-oriented; others are community-oriented; some prefer step-by-step processes and order; others simply want to connect.

All styles are important.

B. How were you designed from birth?

There are 7 natural “bents” we see in Romans 12.

Once you understand your creative design (given to you at your first birth, whereas supernatural gifts are given to you at your second / new birth), you comprehend why you’re different than others… and how they’re different than you.

C. What "stands out" to you? What resonates with your spirit that others may not see?

This questionnaire takes a quick dive into the area of “instructional obedience,” helping you see which parts of the Scripture seem to jump out at you.

We learn that certain points seem to “speak” more to each us, based on how we’ve been created, as well as our past experiences. When we combine this with the first two assessments, we begin to see the unique blueprint for you and your calling emerge more clearly.

D. How does God uniquely express Himself through you, such that the results are... supernatural?

The Bible teaches us that when you give your life to Christ, the Holy Spirit moves into you— in His fullness. He brings revelation and insight… a capacity to love… and His gifts with Him.

These gifts empower you to do things beyond your natural capacity, yet they work with your natural capacity— because the same Lord who first created you is the One who also redeems and recreates you. And, these supernatural expressions work everywhere you go— not just on Sundays.

E. What do we see when we pull it all together?

This final assessment pulls everything together— your personality, the way you were uniquely created, the parts of the Scripture and God’s revelation that stand out to you, your supernatural gifts, and your unique journey to this point.

Spiritual gifts and how they work- We'll talk about whether they're relational and dynamic (always in motion, moving and living) or whether they're static.

24+ more gifts- you'll see that the gift list(s) we see in Scripture are completely open-ended. And most of the things God calls His children to do happen outside of the four walls of the church. We'll celebrate and empower this together!

4 things spiritual gifts are not- sometimes it's easier to define what something is by also contrasting with a few examples of what it's not!

6 purposes of the gifts- we'll outline why we have them in the first place, which will encourage you in unique ways to know how to use them!